Study Basket

At our Spring Women's Retreat our speaker encouraged us to get our Bible study "tools" organized in a basket. This gives portability with no more excuses in finding a quiet spot for devotions or study. So ... months have gone by and I just haven't been able to find the PERFECT basket ... too small ... too short ... too square. BUT last week I found THE perfect basket at Michaels with a bonus of 50% off : ) I love a bargain!
I've filled my basket with the following: NIV/Message Parallel Bible, study book, journal, pencil holder (with pencil, pen, highlighter and post-it-notes), index cards-spiral bound and notecards. I love all the organizational tools and products at the office supply stoes.

It's awesome ... instead of gathering everything up for Tuesday's Bible Study .. I can just carry this out to the car and be on my way. I'm also thinking how nice it will be to carry it out to our new deck during my summer break and have everything at hand. Only 19 more days ... but who's counting??? : )

Best Mother's Day Ever

We spent all day at the hospital yesterday awaiting the birth of baby Calleigh. She arrived at 3:30 p.m. weighing 7lbs 13oz. and 20 in. She's a beauty ... what a precious gift!


Big brother Colin did an awesome job during the 9 1/2 hour wait and enjoyed meeting his new sister!

Kennedy 40

What an awesome day ... our 40-year grade school reunion turned out great. It was fun decorating the room with memorabilia -- I kept so many things from my childhood ... even had my 8th-grade graduation dress on display ... a yellow polka-dot tent dress. Anyone remember those?!?!
We met in Mrs. Stanley's second grade classroom (our school is now a McMenamins.) What fun -- to watch each person walk through the door ... many squeals and hugs. Some were surprises -- we didn't know if they were going to attend or not. One of the nicest surprises was our 8th grade teacher and his wife. As a new teacher, we were his first class and we attended his wedding the summer following our graduation. They brought pictures of us posing with the bride and groom, decorating their car, etc. Many fun memories!

With only a few hours available we reminisced about old school stories and classmates, took a group photo, toured our school building and shared where life has taken us over the last 40 years.
It was fun reconnecting with old friends and classmates. We definitely want to do this again. Maybe in 2009 ... The Summer of 42.

Formal Night

(Pictured with Greg & Ronda)
One of the highlights of the cruise was Formal Night. How often do we get to dress up, enjoy a nice dinner and good company? We were blessed to share a dining table with a nice Christian family from California and our wait staff was awesome. It made our dining experience so enjoyable!
I would like to start saving for a Mediterranean Cruise to celebrate our 35th anniversary. I have always dreamed of going to Italy : )

Cruisin ...

I never thought I would enjoy a cruise. ... I tend to get motion sick and it always seemed like a crowded, confining vacation.
But once we were on board, we were "hooked." In my mind I could not imagine the massive size and elegance of the ship before boarding. We spent the first afternoon just exploring every area -- inside and out.
We cruised down to San Diego the first night and arrived to strong winds canceling many of the port activities. After missing the Catalina stop we enjoyed a Sea Day and relief from swells and seasickness. I was so thankful I had a prescription patch to wear ... never got seasick. To describe how rough the swells were ... I had to hold on to the hand bar in the shower to keep my balance ... the boat was rocking and rolling! Many of our fellow cruisers were too sick to come to dinner that evening and the staff was kept busy cleaning the carpets etc.
This 4-day cruise was a good endurance test! We definitely want to go again ...

Santa Catalina is A-waitin' for Me ...

Twenty-six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me
Santa Catalina, the island of romance
Romance, romance, romance ........
Hmmmmm ... that's right ... it will still be a-waiting for me ....
We booked a 4-day cruise over Spring Break with the intention of seeing Catalina Island. We tried to work it in to our 30th Anniversary vacation in 2004 but it didn't work out. I thought this would be a sure thing BUT due to weather conditions it was canceled. What a disappointment! In talking to cruise staff, the Catalina stop has never been canceled in the 3 years they've been onboard! With the rough seas, even as disappointing as it was, I wouldn't have wanted to get in one of the transports : 0 Safety first!
Well ... I'm thinking ... perhaps we now have an excuse to cruise again ... third times a charm?!?!?!

Family Reunion

Before setting sail we joined our southern California family members for breakfast in San Pedro. We enjoyed 3 short hours of catching up on several years of life ... some we haven't seen in nearly 2 decades! What an awesome bon voyage ... surrounded by those we love.

Spring Break Road Trip

Life has been moving at a whirlwind pace since we returned from our cruise.
We hit the road as soon as school let out the Friday before Spring Break and headed down I-5 south in a rented van, passports in hand (a long story !), suitcases packed and much anticipation of a new adventure. It has been years since we've enjoyed a road trip together. Except for the high gas prices, it was a fun and relaxing vacation.
Since most of our past travels to California have always been in the summer, it was nice to see the terrain during the spring. All of those golden hills were lush green and the temperatures were mildly pleasant.
As we traveled to the Bay area we felt carefree listening to a book on tape ... I "knit-and purled" the miles away trying to get Calleigh's baby blanket completed before we returned home.

A Season of Reunions ... UNILIT

I came home from work today to find a voicemail about a UNILIT reunion in June. WOW ... it has been 30 years since working there and haven't seen most of my fellow workers since leaving a month before Brian was born.
UNILIT, United Literature, was a Christian book supplier between bookstores and publishers and had five branches across the US. I worked in Inventory Control for 3 years. During that time it sold to Tyndale House Publishers and years later sold to Spring Arbor. I've always wondered what my fellow coworkers ended up doing in the years following.
The odd thing ... for some reason today a memory from UNILIT was brought to mind ... my bosses first daughter was born on May 7th while I worked there ... I was wondering about their family after all these years ... and then I check my voicemail to find info about the reunion! Wow!
I've always thought it would be fun to have a reunion with these former coworkers. It will be fun to see who shows up ... I'm really looking forward to it.

As Time Goes By

We loved our first apartment in NE Portland as a newly married couple in 1974. It was a one-level end unit in an older apartment complex. It included such amenities as a fireplace, utility room for a washer and dryer, two bedrooms, hardwood floors and a carport. It felt more like a small house and we enjoyed many happy memories during the year and half we lived there.
After taking pictures of the Adams demolition earlier this month we drove by our "first home" to find each apartment unit now for sale with a starting price of $139, 900! Wow ... never would have imagined that as part of the real estate market!!!
How times have changed ...

Earth Day 1970

. . . on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . " -American Heritage Magazine, October 1993

Do you remember what you did on the first "Earth Day" in 1970?
We had school-wide student participation at our high school with various activities planned. Our school was divided into 4 "houses" and I remember one group held a burial for a car engine. Thinking back .... hmmm .... not sure how earth-conscious it was to bury that in the ground! I wonder if they've unearthed it during the demolition.
My Gen Ed class planned a protest against the automobile. We rode our bikes side-by-side blocking 33rd Drive to Marine Drive. Cars couldn't get past us and the drivers were extremely unhappy. The police ended up coming and used bullhorns to instruct us to move off the road. Personality-wise, I am not the protester type so this was my first and last involvement in this kind of activity!
How did Walt spend his first earth day???? Getting his driver's license!
Seriously, I think we've come a long way in making an effort to become more "green" and we need to continue to educate ourselves in ways we can each make a difference.
To read more on the history of this event check out this site: http://earthday.envirolink.org/history.html

Adams, You WERE The Very Best

That was then ...








This is now ....

A few weeks ago we were heading out to the airport to pick up our rental car for our spring break cruise and our jaws dropped as we drove by our old high school! We've read newspaper articles and heard rumors about the demolition but since we no longer live in the neighborhood we were not aware of a this scheduled event.
How very sad ... so many memories ... so many dreams, plans, friendships made ... now the last high school built in the Portland Public School District lies in rubble. I wish there had been some kind of alumni "farewell" and a time of closure.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this property.
As our school song went. "Adams, you are the very best. Adams, better than all the rest ....." Goodbye!

Kennedy Grade School

On Saturday the 28th our 8th-grade class from Kennedy Grade School will gather together for our 40-year reunion. Now that just doesn't seem possible! We will be meeting in the Community Room, which was my second grade classroom in 1960-61. I'm so thankful that our building has been restored. What a beautiful job the McMenamin brothers did ... transforming it from a neighborhood eyesore into a warm and inviting gathering place.
We continue to search for our old classmates hoping to have as many attend as possible. If you know of anyone from the class of '67, please let them know. It will be a fun day of old stories and for many attending, decades of things to catch up on.
Looking forward to it!

A Wonderful Surprise

This is the first year I haven't been able to find my favorite Easter treat ... Hershey's Eggs. I looked through several stores including Target, Fred Meyer and Walgreens. I finally gave up but it just wasn't the same without those yummy chocolately treats. After checking the CandyBlog I found posts from other sad Hershey Egg fans who were also having problems finding them in their area. I guess I was not alone ... Hopefully more stores will carry them next year.
Much to my surprise Tuesday -- Loretta dropped by Bible study with a bag she found at her Walgreens -- just for me!
Much joy to be celebrated. Thank you. Loretta for thinking of me : )

Easter Celebration

What an awesome Easter. We joined Potter's Hands for their first morning worship service at 10:02 a.m. Couldn't ask for a nicer day ... both Tim and Matt came and Brian was part of the worship team. The only sad part of the day was missing Michelle and Colin, who was home sick : (
It was not only awesome to worship with my family but also with those who have been like family to us over the years AND share in a special occasion ... McKenna's baptism. Sean shared a great message from Luke 24: 1-12.
Potter's Hand's new building looks warm and inviting ... great color and decor. Especially loved the kid's room with a beach theme complete with a surfboard table, cabanas etc. ... maybe a little So Cal influence from Sean?!?! Check out their website: http://www.pottershands.org for more info.
The perfect ending to our day was a ham dinner with all the gang at the Gears. Great food, fun and fellowship!

It's Spring!

I love spring ... everything is in bloom ... new growth pushing through the soil ... the colors and fragrances ... new life; new beginnings. Three weeks ago we cleaned up our flowerbeds and only found a few plants poking through the soil. Since we'd cruised on our spring break and have taken a little time off from our gardening, I looked out the kitchen window yesterday and marveled at our Bleeding Heart ... when did it make its debut? It wasn't there a few weeks ago ... and I've never seen it so large!
I'm lovin' it : )

Scrapbooking Idea

I created an 8x8 album for a friends' Sunriver home as a "welcome-to-your-new-home" gift.
I wanted to create a map of their new neighborhood and had an idea. I went to Yahoo! Maps and found a map of Sunriver Resort. I copied and pasted this into Word on tan cardstock. I then positioned and typed in a title (Dream) using WordArt and also a quote about dreams. I ran it through the printer a second time. After adding a few embellishments I had a great title page for this album. This was the first time I'd tried this technique and discovered a great way to create a personal page by using only paper products and printer ink.
This idea may come in handy when you get into a creative slump or simply don't have time to get to the scrapbooking store for inspiration/supplies.

Sneak Peek

Since I was off work last week, Michelle asked me if I'd like to join them for her ultrasound appt. This is the first ultrasound I've had the opportunity to see since I never had one with any of my pregnancies. It was amazing ... Calleigh was waving her arms (maybe to say "hi"?), kicking her feet and even stuck her tongue out. She is approximately 4.5 lbs and is expected to arrive in 8 weeks AND definitely a girl!
As a mother-in-law, it just blew me away to be included in this special family event. God has richly blessed my life with such an amazing daughter-in-law. As I check my Calleigh Countdown desktop widget (custom-designed by Tim), I am reminded that in 53 days (plus or minus) our lives will be filled with much JOY! What an awesome journey ...

Scrap Scene Blog

Check out this blog about the who’s who of scrapbooking. It's a great place to discover the latest papercrafting and scrapbooking trends. http://www.scrapscene.com/
If you have an RSS feed, you can subscribe to this site and get updates on a regular basis. They add new posts several times a day.
A great scrapbooking resource!

Psalm 119

Psalm 119 has been where I've been "residing" since Fall. It has been home to my journey. I was challenged at Family Camp to read a passage thirty-five times to truly bring it into your heart and life. Considering this Psalm has 176 verses I'm sure that by now I have read it at least that many times ... maybe more. I've read it in many different versions -- NIV, Amplified, New Living, and The Message each allowing me to understand a passage worded a bit differently -- expanding my understanding.
I am a visual/object-lesson learner ... I can relate much easier to things I can identify with. The Message uses the illustration of a blessed/joyful life -- one listening to God and His Word -- to a journey. Descriptive words include those related to travel:
stay on course
walking steadily on the road
following His directions
taking steady steps
read the map of your Word
don't miss the road signs posted
keeping your eyes on the Lord
give me clear directions
barricade the road that goes to Nowhere
choosing the road that goes Somewhere
road signs at every curve and corner
guiding us down the road of your commandments
love traveling this freeway
formerly wandered all over the place. Now I'm in step with your Word
watch my step. Avoiding ditches and ruts of evil
never detouring from the route
God gives good directions
by your Word -- can see where I'm going -- throws a beam of light on my dark path
I don't swerve an inch from your course
steady my steps with your Word of promise

This is the longest Psalm and chapter in the Bible. Breaking each portion into twenty-two parts … would it be possible to take the next step and memorize it? Several years ago I memorized Psalm 91 that contains only 16 verses so even though difficult, not totally impossible. Here’s a story I read online:
“Perhaps the most unusual story of the benefit to memorizing this psalm is the story of George Wishart, Bishop of Edinburgh in the 18th century. It seems that he found himself in a difficult spot after being condemned to death. He was confident of a pardon that had not yet arrived even at the moment he stood on the scaffold to meet his fate. Taking advantage of the time honored tradition of allowing the condemned man to pray a Psalm, Wishart chose to recite in prayer the text of the 119th psalm. Before he was finished praying the delayed pardon arrived and his life was spared. One can only imagine his ill fortune had he not memorized this psalm.” –From Truthtalk.org

I find myself eager to start something new after the Women's Retreat over the weekend. Feel free to share your favorite passages, memorized verses or suggestions. It's always encouraging to know where others have journeyed!